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Rabbit checklist: what do you need for rabbits?
Do you want to start with rabbits well-prepared? Then a clear foundation is very helpful. Rabbits need more than just a hutch and a food bowl. A good start consists of daily hay, suitable rabbit food, sufficient living space, a litter box, comfortable bedding, hiding places, gnawing material, enrichment, and a calm grooming routine.
This checklist is part of our Rabbit Information and helps you review what you need step by step. This way, you see not only which products are useful, but especially how nutrition, enclosure, hygiene, rest, and enrichment together form a good foundation for your rabbits.
✓ In short: the basics for rabbits consist of hay, complete food, water, space, a litter box, hiding places, gnawing material, enrichment, and grooming products.
✓ Don't just think about individual products, but especially about the overall context: where do your rabbits eat hay, where do they rest, where is the litter box located, and how can they safely move, gnaw, and explore?
Quick links:
Complete checklist · Feeding & hay · Accommodation & space · Grooming & hygiene · Enrichment · Care · Starting order · FAQ
Nutrition first
Hay forms the daily basis. Around this, choose suitable rabbit food, a nice hay rack, a stable food bowl, and optionally herbs or snacks for variety and foraging.
Space & tranquility
Rabbits need a logical living space with grip, hiding places, room to move, and a safe layout. Think of a run, rabbit room, outdoor enclosure, or a spacious permanent enclosure.
Hygiene & control
A litter box, suitable litter bedding, floor covering, and daily checks on eating, behavior, and droppings make care more manageable.
Complete rabbit checklist
This checklist helps you ensure you don't forget anything important. The exact details depend on your situation: do your rabbits live indoors or outdoors, do you use a rabbit room or a run, and do you need one designated litter box or multiple? The basics remain the same: nutrition, space, hygiene, rest, enrichment, and care must all work together.
Basic necessities for rabbits
✓ Hay: abundantly available daily as the basis of the menu.
✓ Rabbit food: a suitable complete food as a supplement to hay.
✓ Drinking facility: a water bowl or drinking bottle that is clean and easily accessible.
✓ Food bowl: stable, easy to clean and suitable for the feeding method.
✓ Hay rack or hay rack: useful for offering hay in an attractive and accessible place.
✓ Dwelling or permanent living space: with sufficient floor area and a safe surface.
✓ Run or off-leash area: for exercise, running, jumping, and exploring.
✓ Hiding place: at least one quiet place where your rabbits can retreat.
✓ Litter box: for a clear place to pee and poop.
✓ Toilet bedding: highly absorbent and suitable for rabbits.
✓ Bedding or floor mat: for comfort, grip, and hygiene.
✓ Chewing material: to support natural gnawing behavior.
✓ Foraging toys: so that searching for food becomes more fun and active.
✓ Tunnels and small houses: for routes, shelter, and resting places.
✓ Grooming products: such as a brush, nail clippers, and possibly coat care products.
✓ Transport box: for vet visits, moving, or emergencies.
1. Nutrition: hay, feed, water and variety
A good rabbit foundation starts with nutrition. Hay should be readily available daily, as rabbits need plenty of fiber-rich material and spend a large part of the day nibbling. In addition, provide an appropriate portion of complete rabbit food. This keeps the menu clear and prevents your rabbit from picking only the tastiest parts of a mixture.
Herbs, flowers, leaves, vegetables, and snacks can be a nice addition, but view them primarily as variety and enrichment. Introduce new foods gradually and always observe how your rabbits react. Droppings serve as a handy daily check in this regard.
Convenient shopping routes: Rabbit hay · Rabbit food · Hay racks · Feeders · Drinking bottles & water bowls · Rabbit herbs · Rabbit snacks
Nutrition in brief
- Hay is the daily foundation and should always be accessible.
- Complete rabbit food is given as a supplement, tailored to age, weight, and needs.
- Herbs and snacks are suitable as variation, reward, or foraging enrichment.
- Introduce new vegetables, herbs, or snacks gradually.
- Check daily if your rabbits are eating well and producing normal droppings.
2. Enclosure: cage, run, rabbit room, or outdoor enclosure?
For rabbits, the enclosure revolves primarily around floor space, grip, safety, and freedom of choice. A rabbit cage can be a practical base, but is usually not enough as a complete living space. Therefore, combine a base with a run, rabbit room, or safe free-roaming area. For outdoor rabbits, additionally consider shelter from wind, rain, cold, heat, and predators.
Arrange the enclosure so that your rabbits can move, rest, shelter, eat, drink, and use the litter box without everything being on top of each other. A logical layout provides a sense of calm: hay near the litter box, hiding places at the edges, sufficient space to move around in the middle, and gnawing or foraging material in places where your rabbits like to be active.
Useful shopping routes: Rabbit cages · Rabbit runs · Rabbit room · Outdoor rabbits · Rabbit houses · Rabbit tunnels
3. Toilet, bedding and hygiene
Many rabbits naturally choose one or a few designated toilet spots. You can make good use of this by placing a litter box in the spot where your rabbits already like to urinate or defecate. A toilet spot often makes even more sense when hay is offered nearby, as many rabbits enjoy combining eating and defecating.
For the rest of the enclosure, consider comfort, grip, and maintenance. Indoor rabbits often benefit from floor mats or washable bedding, while outdoor rabbits may also require extra protection and insulation. Toilet bedding is primarily used in the litter box; bedding or mats are used for the living area.
Useful shopping routes: Rabbit toilets · Rabbit toilet bedding · Rabbit floor covering · Rabbit floor mats · Rabbit cleaning products
Hygiene checklist
- Place the toilet in a spot where your rabbits already like to sit or urinate.
- Place hay in or near the toilet area to make the spot more attractive.
- Change wet toilet bedding regularly and keep urine spots dry.
- Use bedding or ground mats primarily for comfort, grip, and protection.
- Check daily for wet spots, dirty fur around the hindquarters, and abnormal droppings.
4. Enrichment: gnawing, searching, digging and discovering
Rabbits are intelligent animals that enjoy being active. Enrichment helps to accommodate natural behavior: searching for food, gnawing, digging, hiding, running, and exploring routes. This doesn't have to be complicated. For example, you can offer a portion of the daily pellets in a food roll, a snuffle mat, or mixed in with hay and herbs.
Tunnels, houses, and gnawing material also serve a clear function. They not only make the enclosure more fun but also provide your rabbits with places to move around safely, go out of sight for a moment, or occupy themselves quietly. Regularly check toys and gnawing material for wear and tear and replace them when necessary.
Useful shopping routes: Rabbit play & foraging · Training & foraging toys · Rabbit chewing material · Rabbit digging box · Rabbit tunnels · Rabbit houses
5. Care, health and transport
A good rabbit routine consists of small daily checks. Check if your rabbits are eating well, responding actively, producing normal droppings, and do not have dirty or wet fur around their hindquarters. Additionally, regularly check their nails, coat, water supply, and enclosure. Long-haired rabbits and rabbits that are shedding often require extra grooming.
A transport box is also part of the basics. You don't use it daily, but it is important for vet visits, moving, or unexpected situations. Set the transport box out calmly as your rabbits get used to it, so that it isn't just a frightening object when you really need it.
Useful shopping routes: Rabbit care · Rabbit health · Rabbit transport box · Rabbit summer products · Rabbit winter products
Good to know
Rabbits often only show clear signs of discomfort late on. Therefore, pay close attention to changes in eating, droppings, posture, and behavior. Is a rabbit not eating, producing no or far fewer droppings, sitting hunched over, or appearing lethargic? Then contact a rabbit-specialist veterinarian immediately.
Care and hygiene products help with the daily routine, but do not replace veterinary advice in case of symptoms or doubt.
Practical starting order: what do you order first?
Start with the products you need from day one. Then, you can expand the setup with extra enrichment, seasonal products, and smart combinations. This way, you avoid buying many individual items without a clear function in the enclosure.
Starter package in logical order
✓ Step 1: hay, complete rabbit food, food bowl, and water.
✓ Step 2: enclosure, run, or rabbit room with a safe surface.
✓ Step 3: litter tray, litter bedding, floor covering, or floor mat.
✓ Step 4: small house, tunnel, or hiding place for rest and shelter.
✓ Step 5: Chewing material and foraging toys for daily activity.
✓ Step 6: care products and a transport box.
✓ Step 7: extra herbs, snacks, packages, and seasonal products for variety and convenience.
Do you want to get started quickly with a handy combination? Then also check out our Rabbit packages . These are useful when you want to combine multiple products for food, stocking, or enrichment all at once.
Frequently asked questions about the rabbit checklist
What is the minimum you need for rabbits?
The minimum basic setup consists of hay, complete rabbit food, clean drinking water, a spacious living area, a litter box, litter bedding, bedding or a floor mat, a hiding place, gnawing material, enrichment, grooming products, and a transport box.
Is a rabbit cage enough?
A cage can be a practical base, but rabbits also need sufficient floor space and daily exercise. A run, rabbit room, or safe free-roaming area makes the enclosure much more logical.
Why is hay at the top of the checklist?
Hay is the most important daily staple for rabbits. It suits their nibbling behavior and helps keep their diet fiber-rich and stable. Therefore, hay should always be easily accessible.
Do rabbits need a toilet?
A litter box makes the enclosure more organized and easier to keep clean. Many rabbits naturally choose a fixed spot. By placing a toilet with suitable litter there, you make litter training easier.
Which bedding is suitable for rabbits?
That depends on your accommodation. In a toilet cistern, you primarily choose absorbent toilet bedding. For the living space, you look at comfort, grip, and maintenance. Indoors, floor mats and washable solutions are also widely used.
What is useful for indoor rabbits?
For indoor rabbits, a rabbit room, run, bedding, litter box, cable protection, hay rack, houses, tunnels, and gnawing material are very useful. This way, you create a safe and practical living space in your home.
What is useful for outdoor rabbits?
Outside, shelter, a dry hiding place, a safe run, suitable bedding, protection against heat and cold, and daily checks are extra important. Also pay close attention to hygiene, flies, and wet spots.
Do you need to buy toys for rabbits right away?
Enrichment is certainly part of the basics, but it doesn't have to be complicated. Start with gnawing material, a tunnel or house, and a simple way to let them search for food. Later, you can expand with snuffle mats, food rolls, or digging opportunities.
When should you take a rabbit to the vet?
Contact a rabbit-specialist veterinarian immediately if your rabbit is not eating, is producing no or far fewer droppings, is lethargic, is puffed up, seems short of breath, has a dirty rear end, or is clearly reacting differently than normal.
Continue reading within Rabbit Information
This checklist is the starting point. Do you want to learn more about behavior, nutrition, housing, and care? Then go back to the Rabbit Information . From there, we will further expand the rabbit hub with practical decision aids and in-depth information pages.
Everything for a good rabbit foundation at DRD Knaagdierwinkel®
Whether you are just starting out with rabbits or want to improve your existing enclosure: at DRD Knaagdierwinkel®, you will find products that logically fit into the daily life of rabbits. We help you not only with individual products, but especially with the right combinations for food, enclosure, hygiene, enrichment, and care.
✓ Everything for rabbits neatly organized in one place
✓ Practical guide to choosing food, accommodation, and care
✓ Specialist since 2011
✓ Delivered from our own stock
Start directly in the Rabbit Webshop or view the Rabbit Information for more practical explanations regarding behavior, nutrition, housing, and care.
